Compassion: Do we have 'nerves of compassion'?
How do you react when you witness suffering?
You probably feel warmth in your chest and a lump in your throat. Your heart rate goes down, and you become a bit gentler — ready to comfort and support the sufferer. If you have these feelings and physical reactions, it’s because humans are hardwired for it, according to psychologist Dacher Keltner.
Charles Darwin called sympathy the strongest of all human instincts. In Born to Be Good: The Science of a Meaningful Life, Keltner describes the new scientific evidence in support of Darwin’s intuition.
Keltner is a faculty member at Berkeley’s Greater Good center. As I described Monday, this center partnered with the CompassionLab to produce the free online survey of compassion in organizations.
The wiring is called the “vagus nerve.” According to Keltner, “this is a bundle of nerves… which resides in the chest and, when activated, produces a feeling of spreading, liquid warmth in the chest and a lump in the throat.”
In addition, when you witness a person or even an image of suffering, the vagus nerve causes you to audibly sigh. This sigh is perceived to be soothing, comforting, and reassuring. It communicates empathy and readiness to help.
Chris Oveis, one of Keltner’s students, produced the experiments that first associated the vagus nerve with compassion. When they showed participants an image of an emaciated, starving child, they observed the activation of the vagus nerve and the behaviors described above.
If you show participants the image of, say, college landmarks or the sports team’s mascot, they feel pride and their vagus nerves are not activated. Those feeling pride are less likely to be sympathetic.
What do you feel when you observe suffering?
Are you surprised to learn that we are hardwired for compassion?
Wayne Baker is a sociologist on the faculty of the University of Michigan Ross School of Business. Baker blogs daily at Our Values and can be reached at ourvaluesproject@gmail.com or on Facebook.
Comments
BhavanaJagat
Thu, May 9, 2013 : 4:19 p.m.
The Self and The Knowing-Self: The Vagus nerve is the 10th cranial nerve and its main motor nucleus which initiates the nerve impulses for motor action is located in the anterior portion of the Reticular Formation and extends throughout the medulla which is a part of the Brain stem. The Reticular Formation is a phylogenetically old portion of the brain. It is located in the central brain stem and extends from medulla to thalamus. The Reticular Formation has connections with almost all other parts of the Central Nervous System which includes the Limbic System. It is the Limbic System which is involved in the control of emotions and it influences the Vagus nerve motor nucleus through its connections with the Reticular Formation. I describe Reticular Formation as 'The Knowing-Self and it is aware of thoughts, emotion, and feelings and can generate a motor and sensory response. I wish that the story has included some photo images to describe the origin of Vagus nerve in the brain and its connections. Man is a created being whose existence is established by the force/power/energy called Divine Compassion.
ChelseaBob
Thu, May 9, 2013 : 12:35 p.m.
The vagus verve controls many of your internal organs, including the digestive system. This sounds like psuedo-science. Asserting that a particular nerve activates compassion needs more factual explanation.
Laurie Barrett
Thu, May 9, 2013 : 12:18 a.m.
This interesting video came to mind as I read this article. The video makes me wonder whether and how much compassion is a cultural value. http://jalopnik.com/say-hello-to-the-inspirational-feel-good-side-of-russi-489022102